Passive houses en Essex, CT

“We worked most directly with Sara Nelson and could not have had a better experience. Sara and her firm were responsive, resourceful and highly creative with great attention to important and meaningful details that are a trademark of their work.”

“Dave is a highly skilled architect with a deep knowledge of the style and structure of the building(s) he is asked to design and draft. Dave is easy to work with and has a keen sensitivity for his clients' tastes. He spends considerable time listening and understanding the "wants" of his clients and balancing the practicality and realistic options for construction. I would enthusiastically recommend him to anyone interested in designing and building a "house of one's dreams". You will not regret the time and effort he contributes to your project.”

“Whitney has now worked with my wife and I on three homes. The homes increased in size, complexity. and sophistication. He has also worked with us on follow up additions and remodeling. Clearly, we have been pleased with the our association and have enjoyed the experience of developing our homes with Whitney. I would note that throughout our time together he brought great ides and fresh approaches yet always, always took into consideration our input and desires - so in effect we have had a comfortable joint collaboration. He has been easy to work with, on time, on site, and his oversight has been well focused. We are thinking again of a new, now smaller home and Whitney will be our resource once again. We would certainly recommend him to anyone wanting a creative work of art.”

“Hope is a pleasure to work with.She is open minded and up on the new technology.Very patient and easy to talk to . Awesome person!!!!”

“John R. Schroeder, AIA, you have given us our dream home and by that I mean a home more beautiful than we could have imagined and yet completely suitable to our hectic everyday lives as a family with four young children. You listened to our random ideas and put them together into a design that is better than the sum of its parts and what's more, it was completed on schedule (I didn't think this ever happened!).”

“Foster Architecture does beautiful and well-conceived work. His approach to problem solving is both professional and calm. My project was a renovation of a 1970’s builder’s contemporary that was visually disorganized inside and out. Foster re-organized and balanced the spaces, completely transforming the interior and exterior with small aesthetic changes throughout, while integrating the building into the surrounding land, giving the house an up-to-date 21st Century look and quality. Foster’s knowledge of the aesthetic use of materials is comprehensive and creative. I highly recommend his work and look forward to working with him again in the future.”

“After researching and interviewing several other firms in the area, my husband and I were delighted to meet Russ Campaign. Our project was challenging and demanded a level of creativity that Russ met and exceeded. His ability to execute our vision within the confines of what could be done in the project as well as keeping the design practical in terms of cost was excellent. I would unconditionally recommend his firm, and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

“Complete remodel of mid-century home interior. Chris Arelt is a grad of Yale School of Architecture, and his knowledge and creativity show in the results of this project. Ask him for photos of our award-winning kitchen. The details and custom cabinetry are superb - he listened to our needs and wants, and got it right!”

“Helped in the development of a fitness studio in Briarcliff Manor NY. Very professional from start to finish. Also made valuable observations to enhance the project and add to the quality of the final design and construction.”

“We found Duo Dickinson from a search on the web for "award-winning small house architect." His name was the first to pop up. Duo has a splendid website, which includes essays from his prolific writing, radio programs and books. One theme evident with Duo is his work is about the client, not him. He also has a long resume of houses small and grand. And several of his books praise small homes, and practical remodeling fundamentals. We chose to interview him first and never looked at any other architect. After a first date, we were asked to complete a long survey defining who we are and how we see ourselves living in our new home. Then Duo began conversations with the zoning board. Not waiting until we had a plan but from the concept. Duo is also candid and upfront about costs - his and the project's. At this point, since our first meeting in January, we have completed a lengthy survey, sent scores of jpeg photos of designs we like, edited several phases of sketches, and have had three meetings with Duo. He has had several conversation with zoning officials and met with them twice so far. The rest of our work has been done via email. As of now, June, we have reached our latest and most comprehensive version of the cottage. A model is being built to present to neighbors and related zoning boards. The process has been fun, thorough, efficient, and personal. When we ask for a change we get it. His communication is excellent. He is responsive, smart, astute, but plain-speaking. We feel fortunate to have Duo to present our plans in the upcoming approval process. We know we are in capable, kind, experienced and talented hands. And best of all, the cottage will be splendid.”